Life Day
by Lyria Padfoot
Summary: Cowritten with Mara S, The Solo & Skywalker families spend a holiday together. PLEASE R/R!!!!!!


Disclaimer: This stuff doesn't belong to us. It belongs to the Great Flanneled  
  
One. If there was money in it, we'd make it our official profession, but  
  
there's not.  
  
Posting: Ask at LeiaAmidala916@yahoo.com or  
  
JediMaraSkywalkerSW@yahoo.com, and it shall be granted!  
  
Summary: Life Day (in this story anyway) is a day when people burn something  
  
that symbolizes something they don't like about themselves & promise to  
  
change it somehow. So, on the Life Day after Balance Point, there's a lot  
  
of burning to do, don't you think?? And so, here it is!  
  
Author's Note: Written one fine day of February Vacation by Mara Jade  
  
Skywalker, the moisture farmer, and Leia Organa Solo, the nerf-herder's  
  
wife. This whole thing started over an instant message, so bear with us if  
  
we ramble. Feedback to JediMaraSkywalkerSW@yahoo.com and  
  
LeiaAmidala916@yahoo.com  
  
  
  
Life Day  
  
  
  
All seven of them sat around the fire Han & Luke had lit. The Solo family was happy to be together again, and Luke & Mara were happy to be with them. The sun was setting and it was time for the burning to begin.  
  
They all sat there for a while, no one wanting to be first.  
  
Leia finally laughed. "We're not going to get very far if someone doesn't talk."  
  
"I will." Jacen Solo's voice was clearly heard, although Leia could hardly see him on the other side of the fire. He stood up. "I'm burning my blaster. I carried it when I was afraid to use the Force. I couldn't find a balance as to when I could use it and when it was right to use it. So I decided not to use it at all. And I was wrong. But I've found that balance. And I'm grateful to everyone here for helping me. I promise to keep that balance in my life." He tossed the blaster in and the flames leapt higher.  
  
There was a bit of silence before Mara finally stood. "I am burning my cat suit from Palpatine's Court. When I was the Emperor's Hand, I didn't care about anyone or anything. I served my Master and never questioned anything he asked me to do. He turned me into this cold, hard person who didn't give a crap about myself or anyone else. But I do. Luke helped me see that everything Palpatine ever told me was a lie. My life has been a lie. That was until I met Luke. Luke, thank you for helping see through Palpatine's deceiving ways and for being the first person to believe that I wasn't that person that Palatine made me to be. That I was really a kind person with a good heart. It just took awhile to bring that person out. Luke married me when the rest of the galaxy was giving him strange looks. He even may have lost a lot of respect for marrying me but he married me anyway. I also want to thank Leia for being my first real friend and trusting in me  
  
when the galaxy didn't understand why. I even want to thank Solo, for  
  
understanding where I was coming from, in the manner of not being accepted, of not being 'good enough' for a while. I also need to thank the Solo kids, for never doubting their Aunt Mara, even though she might have seemed a little out there. Which the Maker knows isn't all that far off but not as much as a lot of people thought I was. I love each and every Solo kid as my own. You guys will grow up to become amazing adults. I promise to never turn back into that person that Palpatine made me, because I'm not that person. I never was that person. Thank you all for believing that I wasn't."  
  
Mara sighed. Reliving what she had been was never easy. "I also need to make an announcement." Luke's eyes grew wide. "Luke, I know we decided we weren't going say anything, but I was thinking about the whole thing, and I'm sick of lying. I spent most of my life being lied to, so I can't lie to anyone." She glanced around. "Okay, well, there's no other way to say it but this way. Leia, Han, kids... I'm pregnant. I am due in two weeks actually." Mara looked at Leia and answered her unasked question. "Luke and I didn't want to say anything because of my disease and we didn't know what was going to happen to the baby because of the Vong disease. So far, so good but let's not say anything, shall we? I know you are shocked but I am pregnant. I've been hiding it with the Force." Mara let down the illusion. "See?"  
  
"Wow!" The twins spoke together. Jaina kept going. "What is it?"  
  
"You were worried about the disease... it's got to be a Vong." Anakin commented.  
  
"It's a boy." Mara piped up, at the same second Luke was saying "it's a girl."  
  
"It's triplets!" Jacen and Leia both laughed.  
  
Han grinned. "THAT would be an interesting family picture... boy, girl, parents, & Vong."  
  
When the excitement died down some, Luke started to speak. "I am burning a lightsaber." Every jaw around the fire dropped. "And before you all think I'm giving up the Force, I'm not. I just have gotten way into it. It has taken over my life and I've forgotten what is really important in life. I want to thank Mara for making a comment the other day about it. It was then, that I realized that it  
  
had taken over my life. I don't want to be this Jedi Master monk who's whole  
  
life revolves around the Force. I want to be the husband, friend, brother, and  
  
father that I was wanted to be. I thought I was that person before, but I  
  
never was. I will be, from this point forward. I will be the man, husband,  
  
brother, friend, and father that I want to be. The man who's life is more  
  
than just the Force. I am still a Jedi but I don't want to get so involved in  
  
something again that it takes over my life and makes me forget what is really  
  
important."  
  
The silence returned again. Then Leia stood, with a bit of obvious pain after her near loss of her legs. The look on her face was sad, almost wistful. "I'm burning one of my robes of office." She paused for a moment, looking around the circle. "I've always been someone special, someone important, with all sort of duties & responsibilities. I couldn't ever be a normal wife or mother or even daughter. I had to force myself into a shell, let my personal needs or wants go unknown and unanswered for whatever my cause happened to be. I was the Princess of Alderaan, the Senator, the Freedom Fighter, the Chief of State. I'm still an ambassador, even." There were tears in her eyes. "I haven't been the mother or the wife I wanted to be, that I should have been. Maybe I've done a lot for the galaxy, but I sacrificed the people in the galaxy I care most about to do it. And I sacrificed myself. I just want to be Leia. I want to be a wife, a mother, a sister, a friend. I won't hide behind my shell. I've been kept away from my family for so long. I promise that my first concern from now on is always, always my family. And..." Leia paused and looked at Luke. "I'd like to complete my Jedi training... if you'll still take me as a student."  
  
"Of course." Luke smiled and gave his sister a hug. "You can teach me how to not be absorbed in the Force while I teach you to use it!"  
  
Anakin stood up next. "Mom talked about family. This was a holo of me and Jacen. When I was mad at him, I destroyed it. Jacen, you're my brother, and I love you. I'm sorry about being so mad and not accepting your decision. I might not have agreed, but it wasn't my decision to make. Then you went to rescue Mom. You could have died thinking I was mad at you. I promise not to let my anger get in the way of my relationship with my family, and I promise to accept other people's decisions and not be upset with them because of their choices." Anakin sat down next to Jacen, and Jacen wrapped an arm around his little brother's shoulders.  
  
Jaina stood up. Han looked at his daughter fondly. She looked so much like Leia. "I never understood why Mom was always busy when we were little. It seemed like we were always getting dumped on someone. I know now that you were trying to keep us safe. You didn't want us to get hurt because of who you were, and you didn't like it any more than I did. I've really started to respect you now, Mom. All the times you weren't there, it was for us. You sacrificed that time because you loved us. I'm grateful to you, and I really admire you-as a person, a mother, and a friend. We almost lost you not so long ago, and I realized there's so much I don't know about you. I love you. I promise to try to be closer to you in the future."  
  
There was a short moment of silence in which Leia and Jaina, both crying, shared a hug. Then Han, the last of the group, stood up, carrying a bottle of Corellian Brandy and a holo. "I'm not good at this sort of thing, so bear with me. I'm burning a bottle of Brandy and a holo of Chewie." He stopped for a moment. He glanced around the group. "My parents died when I was a kid. I got cold and uncaring. The saying when I was a smuggler was that when you had a run no one wanted, no one would take, find Han Solo. That kid's crazy, he'll do anything for money. I was taking stupid risks. I didn't care if I lived or died. When I met Chewie, I started to change. When I met Leia and the kid, I had something to live for. I was part of something again. I'd found a family. When Chewie died, part of me died with him. He was probably my first real friend. I went into a drunken funk, and I pushed everyone who gave a crap about my sorry alcoholic self away. I didn't want to be close to anyone because I was terrified to lose anyone else. Then I just got used to being alone. But I'm kinda starting to realize something. I'm becoming what I was after my parents had died. I have a family, friends, people who care, everything. Whether I was trying distance myself so no one else got hurt or not, I was still hurting them." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don't like to talk about how I feel, my family knows that. But I don't say it enough. I just want to say I love you guys. I promise not to separate myself from the people who care about me when they're trying to help me. And... and I'm sorry for the way I've been acting." He walked over to Leia. "Can you forgive me, Leia? After the drinking? The yelling?" Han was clearly trying to hold back his tears. "Do you... do you think you could love me again?"  
  
There was dead silence. Leia stood up, and Han stood with her. "No, Han. I can't love you again."  
  
His face was absolutely haunted. It looked as if his deepest fear had just come true.  
  
"I can't love you again.... because I never stopped in the first place." Leia kissed him softly.  
  
The three Solo children practically exploded. Everyone was hugging, kissing, crying, and cheering. Jacen hugged Jaina, Jaina hugged Anakin, Anakin hugged Mara, Mara hugged Luke, and Luke hugged everybody. Meanwhile Han scooped Leia up and whirled her around, laughing, and then pulled her close.  
  
The burning over with, Han sat and pulled Leia down next to him. Luke and Mara came over and sat near them, and the three children sat and chatted together.  
  
Han grinned at Luke. "So kid, you're finally going to be a Daddy?"  
  
Luke blushed a bit. "Yeah I guess."  
  
Han laughed. "Well, it's about time! Two weeks, you said Mara?"  
  
Mara had a very strange look on her face, Luke decided. Han looked at her and a grin crossed his face. "I've seen that face before."  
  
"When?" Luke asked, suddenly nervous.  
  
Leia laughed. "When I went into labor with the twins!"  
  
Luke paled. Mara glared at him. "This time, Skywalker, I really AM going to kill you!"  
  
Luke scooped her up and they all headed for the speeder. "I love you," he offered.  
  
"That doesn't help." Han couldn't stop laughing.  
  
"Neither does the 'are you okay?' every 3 seconds." Leia reminded Han.  
  
Luke broke out in a run toward the speeder as Mara had a contraction.  
  
Han wrapped an arm around Leia. "So does this mean you like me sometimes?"  
  
"Sometimes. But even when I don't like you, I always love you, Han." She kissed him. "But I suppose you know."  
  
"Of course, Your Worship." He opened the speeder door for her. "Of course." 


End file.
